Anyone say, I should have purchased a different truck?

[MountainGoat]

Sometimes. I thought well, good time to buy a new vehicle (always bought used). If I keep it till the wheels fall off it'll be a solid choice. But I intended the truck to last 10 years at least and I'm now doubtful the truck is built for it. Only time will tell.

Sponsored

 

[GhostStrykre]

Sometimes. I thought well, good time to buy a new vehicle (always bought used). If I keep it till the wheels fall off it'll be a solid choice. But I intended the truck to last 10 years at least and I'm now doubtful the truck is built for it. Only time will tell.

the below isn't a knock on your perspective at all, just kind of how i'm looking at the next 10 years for myself:

between my family's experience growing up, and my own vehicle ownership, it was very rare to see a vehicle make it past 200k miles without some major component failure (usually the transmission). my old man always repaired em and kept em running. that's including the well respected japanese brands. those toyota powertrains were great, but holy hell those bodies didn't like midwestern winter salt. rust is only cheaper than a transmission because you choose to ignore it as long as possible.

no matter how i try to look at this, i keep coming back to the fact that replacing a transmission will always be cheaper than a new vehicle. 2023 has only underscored this fact.

every month my truck doesn't have a payment it's paying me. those dollars stack up pretty quickly to the value of a transmission or turbo or head gasket.

suffice to say, i'm happier keeping my truck for the time being, potential repairs and all, than the stress of a new purchase. my brain doesn't wanna sit in excel spreadsheets running numbers when my gut already knows what's what.

 

[MaxE731]

2020 Owner. Major satisfaction. Minor gripes

Pros:
- This truck is extremely comfortable to sit in.
- Interior is nicely set up to be easily controlled. Even the HVAC is muscle memory now
- Engine is fantastic. No gripes.
- Tows, Hauls like a champ.
- Visibility is very good.
- Overall fantastic vehicle
- This forum, everyone just has fun. People here are wonderful. I've been on other forums like tesla, rivian, and toyota and everyone there just sucks. Say something bad about the vehicle and you get tarred and feathered.

Con:
- Transmission. Jerky shifts and constant dread of it grenading itself. Maybe I'm overthinking it. Just hoping it lasts a long time.

Minor Cons:
- Wish the steering wheel would telescope another inch or two. Would allow me to not sit with my legs scrunched up as much as they are. (Again, see pt #1 of pro's. It's still really comfy)
- Too tall. Personal preference. Would have preferred the stock height of the truck to be an inch or 2 lower. People who want taller trucks will lift them anyways, but this truck is impossible to lower without turning it into a low-rider due to how the rear suspension is set up. I just want something easier to load and unload things in the bed.

None of my gripes are enough to make me want to part with the truck. (Well it depends on the day and how it handled that drive whether I want to sell it or not haha. Sometimes it drives like a kid learning stick, other times it drives like a Cadillac.)At this point, it's lost enough value that I'm in it for the long haul at this point.

Long live 'Rudolph the Red Nosed Ranger'.g

I feel your pain with the transmission. The last several months I had my 2019 the jerking, lugging, etc., especially driving slow through town, and the hard downshifts coming to a stop from highway speeds ke

2020 Owner. Major satisfaction. Minor gripes

Pros:
- This truck is extremely comfortable to sit in.
- Interior is nicely set up to be easily controlled. Even the HVAC is muscle memory now
- Engine is fantastic. No gripes.
- Tows, Hauls like a champ.
- Visibility is very good.
- Overall fantastic vehicle
- This forum, everyone just has fun. People here are wonderful. I've been on other forums like tesla, rivian, and toyota and everyone there just sucks. Say something bad about the vehicle and you get tarred and feathered.

Con:
- Transmission. Jerky shifts and constant dread of it grenading itself. Maybe I'm overthinking it. Just hoping it lasts a long time.

Minor Cons:
- Wish the steering wheel would telescope another inch or two. Would allow me to not sit with my legs scrunched up as much as they are. (Again, see pt #1 of pro's. It's still really comfy)
- Too tall. Personal preference. Would have preferred the stock height of the truck to be an inch or 2 lower. People who want taller trucks will lift them anyways, but this truck is impossible to lower without turning it into a low-rider due to how the rear suspension is set up. I just want something easier to load and unload things in the bed.

None of my gripes are enough to make me want to part with the truck. (Well it depends on the day and how it handled that drive whether I want to sell it or not haha. Sometimes it drives like a kid learning stick, other times it drives like a Cadillac.)At this point, it's lost enough value that I'm in it for the long haul at this point.

Long live 'Rudolph the Red Nosed Ranger'.

I feel your pain with the transmission issues. The last several months I had my 2019 the jerking, lugging, lurching slowly got worse, especially when driving slowly through town or residential areas. And the hard downshifting coming to a stop from highway speeds was getting concerning. My drivetrain warranty was about to run out so I decided to cut my losses and trade. I've got almost 2,000 miles on a '23 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X and it's absolutely the best truck or vehicle of any type I've ever owned. My Ford dealer/service is awesome, but the Ranger pretty well soured my experience with Ford vehicles. Never have been a brand loyal guy, just whatever I could afford. Still have my 2017 Escape.

 

[NotBudule]

I'd much rather have a Ranger that is destined to fail at some point than have a "forever without issues and no expensive repairs on the horizon Toyota " , driving is something I still enjoy and the Ranger is the main reason, I can't see me making up excuses to the wife just to go somewhere in my Taco , but I've made up shit that even had Google scratching its head so I could take a scamper in the Ranger , and mine is a ProperCab , so I could't even replace it if I wanted to , and DAMN it's pretty !

 

[Dr. Zaius]

I'll have had my Ranger exactly 4 years this week.

I did have the fuel in the oil issue early on but that was fixed under warranty.

I've just turned over 26000 miles and a couple of things annoy me, which it's actually at the dealer for right now.

HVAC: I've took it in before but it was marked as No Problem Found. I expect the same this trip as it was working perfectly on the way to drop it off. Hot air on my side, cold air on the wife's side, weak output from center vents while strong from the sides.

What can I do to fully exercise the heater box as often as possible to accelerate the lurking breakage?

Clunk from transmission: I actually don't know if this is the transmission or the driveshaft slip joint, but it occasionally slams hard enough that it feels like someone bumped into you when coming to a stop.

Hopefully that one will appear while they have it.

When I bought it, it was the best midsize on the market IMHO.

The Tacoma and Canyorado twins were quickly removed from my want list after driving them (the new Colorado is MUCH better) and I was fresh off a terrible experience with a 2018 Frontier Pro-4X.

The Ranger checked all the boxes for me.

Would I buy it again today?

Maybe. I would definitely give the new Colorado a serious look, though to be honest, I'd likely wait for the new Tacoma to come out just to see it too.

Edit: Just got the call from the dealer.

No Problem Found, No Problem Found.

Yeah, I'm really shocked.

 

[TVRangerSTX]

Nope....4 years in this month and still on our 5g honeymoon! 4th Ranger since 1989, no regrets 34 years and counting with a new baby on the way! Can't wait til January, the '24's look awesome...

 

[5thranger]

I'm no expert on Fords, but I recall riding in my Aunts Mustang II back in the 70's, so I can reliably say that was a POS.

I will second the Mustang II comment, I had a 74 and truly hated that car

 

[MXGOLF]

I have absolutely no regrets. I love my Ranger and am super glad I bought it.

 

[9zero1790]

I will second the Mustang II comment, I had a 74 and truly hated that car

mustang fans are not allowed to acknowledge the mustang 2 or mach e

 

[jeffp619]

Love mine! no issues except a door ding . Just under 22k miles and no problems, fun to drive and nice ride on 2 roadies to San Diego.

 

[nolan62]

With all the issues that come up I’m thinking I made a bad choice.

Every vehicle has it's problems. You have to look for what fits your needs and life style. I bought my on 12/26 2020. Yes I work from home so in almost 3 years I have less than 9000 miles on it. Never had the 1st problem and 24mpg. Ok, I drive like an old man cause I am an old man. Others have problems, I watch and listen and take notes.

 

[nolan62]

mustang fans are not allowed to acknowledge the mustang 2 or mach e

My first Mustang was a 78 T-top 4cyl 2spd. After you pull the smog junk off and retune its a nice little ride. And don't mention that SUV.....

 

[KeyLargoBill89]

I’ve had zero issues with mine. Bought it brand new in March 2021 and couldn’t be happier. I was paranoid about it failing and worried about the trans, but all is well. I change my oil every 4k miles with full synthetic motorcraft oil, and had my trans and coolant flushed at 31k miles. I plan on driving this truck till the wheels fall off.

 

[Alaska Wolf]

Well, all I can say is that after 50 years of Fords, I'm not terribly impressed with my 2023. I've had quite a few issues since I got it in Feb, some have been annoyances, some have been major issues. The problems with Sync 3 system, the emissions system check engine lights, and with the constant wind noise were all annoyances, and they all pointed to QC problems at Ford. The transmission and electrical issues I've been having though are not minor, and they are not just mere annoyances. I think they are pointing to much larger problems at Ford.

The fuel economy around town is definitely an issue with my Ranger, especially since my old '04 5.4L V8 F 150 @ 18 mpg, and my wife's 3.5L Explorer @ 18.5 mpg get better around town fuel economy (even with her lead foot). An average of 15.7 mpg isn't really acceptable in a 4 cylinder Ecoboost, and I'm a pretty careful driver. On the highway though, the little Ranger is hard to beat, 34 mpg is better than some hybrids.

The poor cabin materials quality so many have mentioned is true, and I see it was well, but then I saw them before I bought the truck; that's just Ford cheaping out. I have panels that don't fit properly, and even the dealer can't make them fit right. The little tray on the dash popped up one day and now it is permanently sticking up around the edges; even after being replaced by the dealership. Again, minor but still annoying.

Would I take my 2023 over my old 1973 302, 3 on the floor (with a custom Hurst shifter knob) F100 Ranger, nope. That old '73 Ranger was rock solid and built like a tank, and its still running today. Of all to the Fords we've had over the past 50 years, and perhaps we've just been lucky, but this little 2023 has been the biggest pita of all of them; including the wife's '89 2.3l twin plug Ranger which held that title for many years.

 

[ArizonaRangers]

I’ve had my 19 Ranger now for about four months or so and I can still say I’m happy with my choice. There are things Ford could’ve done better though:

-trans pan with drain plug for easier maintenance
-Ability to check trans fluid and fill from engine bay
-recirculating air turning off after three miles when not using max ac or heat
-storage under rear seat could be better
-rear seat back could fold down flat
-center console could use a usb reader inside it (better for hiding an old phone loaded with music)


Some of these are nitpicking and I could think of some others but the transmission pan without a drain plug or ability to easily and safely check and fill it is a huge fail in my opinion. I can get Motorcraft ULV for $6.17/qt which makes it cheap enough for me to do every other year if I had a way to drain and fill without messes and potential burns.

Also, I had a 2020-2022 Chevy Colorado LT parked next to me at the store and the bed heights were nearly identical, not that I thought it was an issue in the first place.

That's a good list but please add larger fuel tank to it.

Sponsored